Egypt striker Mohamed Salah has
been named African Footballer of the Year for the second successive year at the
Confederation of African Football’s 2018 awards ceremony in Dakar on Tuesday. “I
have dreamt of winning this award since I was a child and now I have done so
twice in a row,” Salah said soon after receiving his trophy in Dakar.

“My thanks go to my family,
my team-mates and my fans and I dedicate this trophy to my homeland,
Egypt.”

Just as he did 12 months ago,
Salah beat fellow nominees including Liverpool FC Senegalese teammate Sadio
Mane and Gabon’s (and Arsenal) Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to land the award.

Fans favourite

It was an identical outcome to
last year when Salah became only the second Egyptian after 1983 winner Mahmoud
al Khatib to be voted the best footballer in Africa.

Award caps ‘incredible 2018 for Mohamed Salah’

A poll of CAF’s national teams’
head coaches and technical directors, members of the governing body’s technical
and development committee and a panel of media experts selected Salah as the
continent’s outstanding footballer in 2018.

The Liverpool forward was also
named in the Africa Best XI for 2018, along with Mane and Naby Keita. He scored
44 times during a 2017-18 campaign in which he helped his club reach the
Champions League final, before then netting twice at last summer’s World Cup.

Salah scored four goals in three
Africa Cup of Nations qualification outings for his country in 2018 and a
further 16 goals in 29 appearances across all competitions for Liverpool in
2018.

Salah completed a memorable day
for Egyptian football, as the country beat sole rivals South Africa earlier
Tuesday to decide which country hosted the 2019 Cup of Nations.

Memorable day for Egypt

Salah was born in the northern
Egyptian town of Nagrig and used to make eight-hour return trips to train with
Cairo-based El Mokawloon.

Spotted by scouts from Swiss club
Basel, he moved there in 2012 before joining Premier League giants Chelsea two
years later.

The Egyptian had his share of
setbacks. Early in his career Salah found scoring difficult, resulting in him
quitting Chelsea for Italian outfits Fiorentina and then Roma. Salah blossomed
in Rome, averaging close to a goal every two matches, and Liverpool paid almost
€41 millionn (£37 million) to sign him two years ago.

South African Chrestinah Kgatlana
was voted Women’s Player of the Year and South Africa coach Desiree Ellis and
the Nigeria national team were the other female winners. The Goal of the Year
award also went to Kgatlana.